If you are suffering from heel pain, find out how you can eliminate your symptoms.
Anyone who has ever had to deal with heel pain knows just how uncomfortable it can be. You get up in the morning ready to greet the day but the minute you put weight on your foot you experience a sharp and unpleasant pain. While heel pain isn’t often caused by anything serious, our Olney, Kensington, Silver Spring and Clinton, MD, podiatrists understand that heel pain is no joking matter, which is why we are happy to offer up some of these useful ways to combat heel pain.
There are some easy self-care measures that patients can do right from the comfort of their own home. This includes icing the heel, performing stretching exercises, wearing supportive footwear and orthotics, avoiding certain physical activities and even taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
While strenuous workouts that include high-impact activities such as running are to be avoided while your foot heals, we understand that low-impact activities can be a great way to still remain active if you are feeling a bit restless during the healing process. These include riding a stationary bike at your local gym or swim laps in a pool.
Stretching the foot is also an important component to reducing heel pain and strengthening the muscles in the feet. Calf stretches and stretches that bend the large toe back can be an effective way to improve flexibility and range-of-motion in the feet.
If you happen to be on your feet most of the day for work, then you should talk to our Olney, Kensington, Silver Spring and Clinton, MD, foot doctors about whether custom shoe inserts might be worth the investment. Finding shoes that provide ample support and cushioning will also be a major asset to you if you are dealing with heel pain but have to stay on your feet for a large portion of the day.
Of course, if you don’t start to notice a relief in your symptoms after a week, then it’s time to talk to us about other options. Plantar fasciitis and other heel pain causes can be addressed with other treatment options, such as shockwave therapy, corticosteroid injections or physical therapy.
Heel pain doesn’t have to dictate how you live your life. If heel pain has you changing up your daily routine to accommodate it, then it’s time you saw your foot care professionals in Olney, Kensington, Silver Spring and Clinton, MD. Call Family Foot and Ankle Associates of Maryland today.